In the bill's introductory text, the bill is described as "To allow for innovations and alternative technologies that meet or exceed desired energy efficiency goals, and to make technical corrections to existing Federal energy efficiency laws to allow American manufacturers to remain competitive."

The legislation directs the Department of Energy to undertake several tasks. According to a news release from the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA), those tasks are:

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• Develop and issue an annual best-practices report on advanced metering of energy use in federal facilities

• Establish collaborative research and development partnerships with other programs to support the use of innovative manufacturing processes and to support applied research, development, demonstration and commercialization of new technologies and processes to improve industrial efficiency

• Conduct a study, in conjunction with the industrial sector, of the barriers to deployment of industrial efficiency technologies.

For many supporters, the enactment of the law and what that could mean for future energy efficiency legislation seems to be just as important as its content. NEMA CEO Evan Gaddis commented "This provides a great deal of hope that further efficiency measures can be successful in 2013 and beyond."

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Kateri Callahan, president of the Alliance to Save Energy, said "With President Obama's signature on the bipartisan American Energy Manufacturing Technical Corrections Act, the stage is set for advancing additional energy efficiency efforts."

For the complete text of the legislation, click here HR 6582.